Manufacturing Summit slated

The Center for Aviation and Aerospace Leadership (CAAL) at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Worldwide will host its second Aviation and Aerospace Manufacturing Summit Feb. 23-25, 2011, at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn in Orlando, Fla.

The two-day summit will present data and address issues on the state of aerospace manufacturing in the United States and around the world. Events will include workshops on leadership and strategy, lectures, panel discussions, and presentations on hot topics and key trends affecting the industry.

Leaders from across the industry, ranging from the U.S. military, NASA, and Department of Commerce to private industry and academia, will conduct the summit’s sessions and seminars. The 2011 summit will feature an array of industry leaders that reads like a “Who’s Who” in aviation and aerospace, including Gen. Norton A. Schwartz, chief of staff of the U.S. Air Force; Tony Velocci, editor-in-chief of Aviation Week & Space Technology; Gregory F. Hall, vice president of aircraft maintenance for FedEx Express; and Raul Regalado, president and CEO of the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority, who will be addressing the findings of the Department of Transportation’s Future of Aviation Advisory Committee.

Additional featured faculty and staff include retired U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. (ret.) Robert E. Mansfield Jr., aerospace executive in residence for CAAL; Dr. Bruce Ellis, senior aerospace economist and manufacturing strategist for CAAL; Dr. Kees Rietsema, director of research for CAAL; and Dr. Ken Jennings, managing director of Third River Partners, a leadership development and strategy execution consultancy whose clients include Aerojet and General Electric’s jet engine division.

“The challenges facing the aviation and aerospace industry today are complex, and there is a tremendous need for programs than can prepare leaders to meet these challenges,” said General Mansfield. “Even though there are signs that certain sectors of the industry are improving, recovery is far from certain. The 2011 Summit will help decision-makers anticipate and respond to these challenges and provide insight to assist them in being even more effective.”